Remains of local firefighters killed in Arizona blaze return to Southern California

LOS ALAMITOS -- The hundreds of mourners who gathered under a gray sky to pay tribute to fallen firefighters Kevin Woyjeck and Christopher MacKenzie stood in silence as they awaited a C-130 Hercules aircraft bearing the bodies of the young men who lost their lives battling an Arizona wildfire.

The assembled mourners included many firefighters wearing the dress blue uniforms of urban fire agencies or the olive green uniforms of wildland firefighters. They stood at attention on the tarmac at the airfield of the Joint Forces Training Base for the duration of Wednesday's ceremonies in memory of Woyjeck and MacKenzie.

The pair were also remembered by dozens of members of the Patriot Guard Riders, many of whom carried Old Glory as they also stood in near-total silence to pay their respects. The two men were among the 19 firefighters - five of whom were from California - who died June 30 fighting the Yarnell fire in Arizona.

Woyjeck, 21, of Seal Beach, was the son of a Los Angeles County Fire Department captain who had aspired since childhood to follow his father's example.

MacKenzie was one of two fallen firefighters from the Riverside County city of Hemet.

There were no eulogies at Wednesday's ceremonies.

Mourners remained silent as the C-130 carrying the bodies of Woyjeck and MacKenzie touched down at Los Alamitos and taxied along the runway, eventually coming to a stop before the assembled gathering.

There were no words as the aircraft's cargo door slowly opened to reveal the flag-draped caskets belonging to Woyjeck and MacKenzie.

And there were no speeches to be heard before the snapping reports of a beating drum announced the traditional strains of "Amazing Grace" as a pipe and drum band played the hymn while an honor guard brought the first of the two caskets from the aircraft to the hearse that would bring the occupant to his final resting place.

The silence resumed and the firefighters who represented the many Southern California agencies that sent representatives to honor the fallen men continued to stand at attention for several minutes.

"Amazing Grace" broke the silence a second time, and a member of the Patriot Guard Riders shouted for his fellow mourners to stand at attention and raise their flags high as the honor guard escorted the second of the two caskets to a waiting hearse.

Family members of the fallen firefighters gathered around the hearses before the memorial processions that would take both men on their final journeys.

Several pieces of Los Angeles County fire apparatus followed Woyjeck's hearse as it left the Los Alamitos base for Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Long Beach. Woyjeck's father, Joe Woyjeck, is a captain in the department.

Los Angeles County Fire Battalion Chief Ken Wiles said after the conclusion of Wednesday's ceremony that he and the elder Woyjeck served together as paramedics earlier in their careers. Wiles and dozens of Los Angeles County firefighters have volunteered about 60 hours of their time to perform home improvements at the Woyjeck's family home in the wake of the Arizona tragedy.The younger Woyjeck had aspired to join the Los Angeles County Fire Department. He was a Fire Explorer before working for Care Ambulance Service and the Prescott, Ariz.-based Granite Mountain Hotshots in preparation for a career in the county department. The Hotshots group is a specialized unit dedicated to wildland firefighting. Nineteen of its 20 members died in the Yarnell fire.

"He (Kevin Woyjeck) was a great kid. What do you want to do?" Wiles said. "He wanted to be part of the fire family, part of the fire service."